Keep Fit: Spring Cleansing – What Hamptonites Should Give Up for Lent

A friend asked last week, “Is this coming daylight savings the good one or the bad one?”

“The good one!” I responded, as someone else replied with the opposite assertion.

On Sunday, we lost an hour. We overslept and then fell asleep before we got everything we needed to get done, done.

But the sun set an hour later than it did on Saturday. And because of that, I maintain that daylight savings is the most underrated day of the year.

Another sign of spring—Ash Wednesday was last week, signifying the start of Lent. In observing the Lenten season, it’s Christian tradition to either give something up or add something meaningful to your life. But, I know quite a few secular people who observe the tradition of Lent as well. Lent provides a finite period of time to attempt to better yourself, and anyone can get on board with that.

This year, I’m going to add organization to my life.

And, as a side cleanse that will drastically improve office relations, I’m also going to give up making fun of New Jersey. Though I tell jokes in jest, I think that Dan’s Papers art director Tina Guiomar will appreciate the effort. It’s a New York thing; and if we want people to stop telling us that Long Island wine belongs in a waste treatment plant (we didn’t forget, Netflix), we have to first pay it forward.

As a community, there are quite a few things that East Enders should give up over the 40 days:

1. Complaining about the weather

2. Complaining about traffic

3. Making excuses for not going to the gym

4. Thinking about going to yoga class

5. Talking about going to a spin class

6. Talking instead of doing

7. Pretending you go to Montauk much more than you do

8. Forgetting that there are hiking trails in Montauk

9. Facebook stalking

10. Posting photos solely to count how many people “like” them

11. Refreshing a website more times than you take a refreshing walk outside [Editor’s Note: unless it’s DansPapers.com]

12. Thinking that all carbs are the enemy

13. Not setting goals

14. Rereading an email too many times before you hit Send

15. Not rereading an email enough times before you hit Send

16. Telling people that the East End is Red Sox territory

17. Not going to a local winery on the weekend

18. Engaging in misguided arguments in the comment section of internet articles

19. Bad grammar

20. Spelling Hamptons “Hampton’s”

21. Cutting people off while driving

22. Not driving 35 mph on CR-39

23. Pretending that Hampton Road is two lanes in each direction

25. Spelling Southampton “South Hampton”

26. Calling Bridgehampton “Bridge”

27. Grocery shopping the Friday before a holiday weekend

28. Not using blinkers

29. Referring to the summer as “The 100 Day War”

30. Refusing to go into the city during the summer months

31. Pretending that you don’t ever need a break.

32. Not going to the beach in the winter

33. Using electronics on the beach

34. Putting the air conditioner up so high that if it was actually that cold outside, you’d put on the heat

35. Not cooking at home

36. Thinking that going out is always better than staying in

37. Spending a sunny day at the movies

38. Pretending you’ve heard about that band/artist/author when you haven’t

39. Not being spontaneous

40. Being embarrassed

What time is it? I’ve put in a full workday, and it’s still light enough to go for a run? Don’t mind if I do…